Automatic life-saving apparatus



1. P. MULLER.

AUTOMATIC LIFE SAVING APPARATUS. lAPPLICATION FILED OCT. I0, 1917.

1 ,329,990. Patented Feb. 3,1920.

` JEAN HEERE MULLEaoE LE HAVRE, FRANCE.

AUTOMATIC LIFE-SAVING APPAEA'rUs.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JEAN PIEERE'MULIER,

a subject of the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, residing at 1 Rue Joseph Clerc, Le Havre, in the Republic of France, haveinvented a new and useful Automatic Life-Saving A paratus, of`which the followingis a speci catlon.

This invention relates to apparatus such` as inflatable collarsand belts which are used for saving life at sea, of the type whichact automatically on contact with water toinfiate the'collar or belt with air or other gas under compression, the release of the gas being effected by thes'oftening with water of an absorbent substance such as paper, which until softened is adapted to maintain the device in its inoperative position.

The apparatus hereinafter described is4 designed to effect improvements in this type of apparatus;

The apparatusserves equally for the in-A fiation of buoys thrown to a distance from small guns and carr ing ro es, and in this modification is flexibls;7 attac ed to a wooden stem of the same caliber from which it is fired.

Larger forms of the ap only protect aviators, but so serve to maintain on the surface of the water, machines adapted for flying over land which-may have a breakdown during a crossing, a plurality of largeforms of the `apparatus jbei attached to the wings or fuselage'of:l the ffing machine, the inflatablechambers being inclosed in a network of wire orcord to withstandthe pressure of the water, when on immersion they inf'late to function in the same manner as the yfloats During flight and 'while the device is inoperative they offer far less resistance to the air than suchfloats whereby the speed of the flying machine-may be increased;

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention;

Figure 1 is a sectionalel'evation of an apparatus constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is an outside elevation of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail plans ,of the disks, showmg the striker in section.

The apparatus com rises a thin-tube of steel or other metal, A steel striker F Cis' dis osed within a special spring G in the tu e A.- The spring G bears against a. fixed disk I2, and a' movable disk I fixed on the striker F for which it serves as a yon a spindle J as that of the gun aratus may not of a w-aterplane.

[the sleeve Vv and adapted to *metal stopper of the reservoir guide. lThe disks I and Iz are shown to the right of Fig.' 1 in plan. The disk I is soldered to the striker F. I2 is maintained in place' by four pins Ia mounted in four small grooves, which pins prevent the disk from turning, being] maintained inl place by the e spring G.

pressure of vt The the dis I and I2 enable the striker Ftoibe Eprtions out away around the edge of' Specification of Iletters Patent. I PaitetedFeb. 3, 1920. Application led October 10, 1917. Serial No. 195,7205. I

easily. inserted in and removed from the tube A, while they lalso prevent compression of a1r durmg `ercussion.

A hook is provided'at the end-ofthe engage a cam N fixed which passes out through the 1 striker F adapted to wall of the tube A. A lever M is fixed upon the spindle J a stud 18. A stud P is mounted on the outside of the tube A as shown on the drawings, and an absorbent ring P is passed around the studs 18 and P. y

The spring G through the striker F, 'the hook H, andthe cam N tends to Iturn the le- Ver M away from the stud 19 which move'- ment is prevented by the paper ring P.

outside the. tube A and carries A reservoir Q containing com ressed air or other gas is disposed within t e tube A.

The neck of such reservoir is hermetically sealed into the conical end of a'tube S by means of a rubber sleeve R aided by a stopper T fixed by means of a bayonet joint-or screw which compresses the rubber sleeve into the conical opening ofthe tube S.

Rf is a spiral spring made of a vfew turns, serving for the ejection of reservoirs after opening of lthe cover T. y

. Covers T on the tube A are provided with rubber rings T inside the cover which ren-- der the apparatus water-tight, and the lower one of which serves as a rest for theireserv U is disposed within erforate the The point and perfovoir Q. A perforator of the .perforator Uis beveled rated by a hole orgroove of adiameter of about millimeter to allow the escape of air or other as compressed inthe reservoir -Q after per oration ,of its metal stopper. The space existing `between 'the perforator and the sleeve V is'rendered air tight by aid of a small rubber tube U', a part of which eng s onvan enlarged portion of the 'sleeve and t e other part on the perforator which,

downward for the perforating. operation. An outlet pipeW communicates with the sleeve V and is adapted to c'arry the .air or while completely airftight may be moved there by threads-'5. s ace-between them.

' mouth.` -8 is a valve tube covered by a small rubbertubeflO wheel, valve and operates during automatic 'ination 11 is the vent 'by vwhich air or gas -fron-the rreservoir Q past a double act- -ingf valve into' the collar .which is to be in- The double acting valve will now be described; This valve connects the apparatus to the collar'by meansfof the milled tube. 2, which enters the small tube 4 and is retained A rubber ring 3. lfills the 5fis theactualvalve of t e collar. 6 is a hole for inflation by the in the manner of a bicycle escapes, reaching kthe col-lar by the tubef9.

The novel arrangement of this double valve permits easy attachment of the apparatus to the collar, while the latter remains inflated, and further allows said collar to be inflated, or reinated with the mouth; The

"collar cantherefore be used 'even-if the gas or air receptacles are missing, or it is necessary to relnlate.

. the spring G.

turns the cam N and releases the striker F. v 80 Theoperation of the device is as Afollows When' the-apparatus is immersed in water the paper ring' P soaks up the water and breaksby tliepres'sure of the lever M due to The lever M by turning,

The striker F moves downward under pressureof the spring G and strikes the perfo- 'rator U. The perforator U pierces the metal fstopper of the' reservoir Q through the perforation or groove in the 'point of-the perforatorU, through'the outlet pipe W past the double acting valve, and

infiates the collar t'o'which the. apparatus'is attached. v A

To-set'the device, the cord F3' is pulled. This cord is connected to the striker F and lifts the same to rengage the cam N. A new absorbent ring is placed over the studs 18 and P. Anewair or igas reservoir is provided, or the old one re lled, and the apparatus is then vready for use. f

The absorbent ring P is preferably formed of ythree or four lays-of paper known as phare-impossible. The'ring-.of th.

underthe strain ofabout 800 grams.

` Pape hydrophite beinga form of absorbent r of a smoother and stronger texture thanthat o ffblotting paper of which the last layer, is tlxed'by heat with rubber thereby renderingunfasteningby a humid atmoselayers employed will resist whendry. a pull 'of about 12 kilograms; when very moist it resists no more than 2 kllograms, and when quite wet'will break Now the pull ,on thelever N` is about 1200 grams which may be diminished by lengthening the armof the lever. This results in that even when in a very moist condition the apparatus w11l not act `in an inopportune moment,'the

rupture being produced only by vdirect contact with water. I

' come into contact a wire looped around and air escapes Instead of the'absorbentjmaterial above referredl to, the lever M may be retained by other materials, yfor example, sugar which functions less rapidly (10 to 12 seconds) this being usefullfor those who dive to save drowning persons', which would be diiicult with apparatus inflated immediately -upon contact with water.-

A hinged cover and'carrying on its upagainst rain or spray at its low-er end 'a per end a -valve 12 .and

' half tube 13, which 'allow .water to'enter and with the ring when the apparatus is immersed but protectthe paper perfectly against rainor spray. 14 is a bolt providedv at itshead with a hook to receive the absorbent ring by which said .ring may be broken manually. bolt downwardly by means In pressing the of the milled nut 15 the ring is broken, and

the'ap aratus parts.

The lt14' the upper part of which carries thenut 15 slides in a small tube the u per part of which is split to'guide the wire -w en the nut 15 is depressedto operate the device and to leave a passage lfor the attachment of thewire to the bolt..

17 provided over theY lever M, protecting .the-absorbent ring' This apparatus may be carried without' a 7 ulation. the v tube A pocket which simplifies its mani A spring clip 16 on the back o is 'provided for fixing the apparatus upon a sailors clothing.`

If it be desired to breakthe absorbent ring manually, to start the lapparatus in operation, this can be done byy pulling upon a cord P2 which is attached to said ring.

' Having now particularly described and ascertained ythe nature of 4my said invention and in whatmfannei1 the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is In apparatus of the class described, a casing, means in one end of the casing to hold a reservoir, a perforator, spaced guide disks in the casing, a striker guided bysaid disks and arranged in line with the perforator, and provided, at the end farthest from the perforator with al notch, a spring to project the striker when the latter is released, striker detaining means including a'membe 

